Advancing Oil Mist Lubrication Technology
The Oil Mist Lubrication Institute provides unbiased training, technical guidance, and industry best practices so facilities can apply this proven technology correctly and get the reliability, cost, and environmental results it was designed to deliver.
Unbiased. Non-Commercial. Technology-First.
Vendor-Neutral
We don't manufacture or sell oil mist equipment. Our guidance serves one interest only: the correct application of the technology.
Field-Proven Knowledge
Our body of knowledge is built on decades of installations, surveys, and troubleshooting across refineries, petrochemical plants, and power facilities worldwide.
Standards-Based
Grounded in API-610 and the published literature of Bloch, Towne, and Ehlert, the foundational authors of the technology.
Root-Cause Focused
Early failures blamed on "oil mist" were almost entirely installation and distribution errors. We teach the why, not just the what.
A Proven Reliability Strategy, When Applied Correctly
Oil mist has been the predominant pump lubrication method in U.S. refining for decades. Properly designed systems deliver documented, repeatable results:
Training for Every Role in the Plant
Oil mist systems need minimal but essential maintenance, never "set and forget." We build competency at every level, from the daily operator round to the reliability engineer's conversion study.
The 5–10 minute daily routine that keeps systems healthy.
- Daily inspection: normal vs. abnormal indicators
- Reservoir refilling and contamination prevention
- Alarm response and escalation
- Safety: LOTO, hot work, mist exposure limits
System theory, systematic diagnosis, and hands-on component service.
- Mist generation, distribution, and reclassifier function
- Troubleshooting common failure modes to root cause
- Reclassifier service, fittings, seal inspection
- Piping modifications: materials, velocity, slope
Hands-on equipment conversion of pumps and electric motors to pure mist.
- Pump conversion: dual-injection per API-610, drain-back port plugging
- Motor conversion: complete grease removal, seal and drain protocols
- Reclassifier selection and service factor sizing
- Before/after temperature and vibration verification
Design, specification, and optimization for reliability professionals.
- System sizing, oil selection, distribution design
- Grease-to-mist and sump-to-mist conversions with ROI
- API-610 standards compliance
- CMMS integration and performance tracking
Field Surveys, Audits & Expert Guidance
Independent assessment of your oil mist systems against API standards and industry best practices, with actionable findings, not sales pitches.
- Documentation review: P&IDs, schematics
- Generator capacity vs. load, heater and oil verification
- Distribution survey: slope, velocity, leak evidence
- Injection method verification (dual vs. center)
- Vent, collection, and environmental compliance
- Reclassifier plugging and wax precipitation events
- Lubrication related bearing failures and distribution faults
- Stray mist and environmental issues
- High bearing temperatures and mist delivery faults
- Root-cause analysis: fix it and prevent recurrence
- New system specification and generator sizing
- API-610 compliant dual-injection design
- Grease-to-mist motor conversion protocols
- Oil selection: paraffin-free, correct viscosity
- Closed-loop system evaluation
Oil Mist Alarm Troubleshooter
Got an alarm on your oil mist generator? Pick the condition and see the likely causes and what to check, in order. Applies to any make or model.
Resources
Field-ready articles, ROI calculators, and the peer-reviewed foundation our guidance is built on.
What one gearbox oil change really costs once you add permits, cranes, scaffolding and crews, and a calculator to run your own purge mist ROI.
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Same shaft, same fate: why protecting the bearing protects the seal, and the published data showing 30–50% fewer seal failures.
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How pure oil mist took fiber-line crimper bearings from failing weekly to years, and stopped heat transfer pumps from cooking their own oil.
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The design and installation errors behind most failed systems, and why training that stops at startup is the real root cause.
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The four Rs, pure vs. purge mist, the numbers worth memorizing, and the three design errors behind most oil mist problems.
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A plain-language introduction to what oil mist is, how it protects bearings, and why it matters for plant-wide reliability.
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Why oil mist typically pays for itself within 18 months by eliminating rust, downtime, and unplanned maintenance on critical rotating equipment.
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How oil mist protects new pumps and motors while they wait in storage, preventing rust and premature failure before installation even begins.
Read MorePlug in your own numbers and see the cost and payback for your facility. Each calculator runs right in your browser and starts with a worked example you can change.
Enter your tower, crew, crane, scaffolding and oil costs to see what each gearbox oil change really costs and how fast purge mist pays for itself.
Open CalculatorThe Published Foundation
Our guidance is grounded in the peer-reviewed papers and industry publications that established oil mist lubrication as a plant-wide reliability strategy.
- Bloch, H.P. (1980). "Large Scale Application of Pure Oil Mist in the Petrochemical Plant." ASME Paper 80-C12/LUB-25.
- Towne, C. (1983). "Practical Experience with Oil Mist Lubrication." Lubrication Engineering, Vol. 39, pp. 496–502. ASLE.
- Bloch, H.P. & Shamim, A. (1998). Oil Mist Lubrication: Practical Applications. Fairmont Press.
- Ehlert, D. (2004). "Oil Mist Lubrication in the Hydrocarbon Processing Industry." Machinery Lubrication.
- Bloch, H.P. & Ehlert, D. (2008). "Get the Facts on Oil Mist Lubrication." Hydrocarbon Processing.
- Rehman, C. & Bloch, H.P. (2010). "Closed Loop Oil Mist, Best Available Technology." Machinery Lubrication.
- Ehlert, D. (2011). "Getting the Facts on Oil Mist Lubrication." Texas A&M Turbomachinery Laboratory Tutorial.
- Bloch, H.P. (2022). Optimized Equipment Lubrication: Conventional Lube, Oil Mist Technology and Full Standby Protection. De Gruyter.
Put 50 Years of Experience to Work
Whether you're planning a conversion, troubleshooting a system, or building operator competency, start with an unbiased conversation. Fill out the form and I'll get back to you.
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